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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — employees
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — happy
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — the amount
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com